March boosts WMC financials

Monday, May 19, 2014 9:03 AM

Things are looking up rounding out the third quarter at Winneshiek Medical Center.
At last week’s meeting of the WMC Board of Trustees, Chief Financial Officer Lynn Luloff told the Board March marked improved patient volumes and saw improved financial outcomes at WMC.
March’s profit was $216,869, bringing the profit for the fiscal year thus far to $993,113.
Luloff said while hospital revenues are currently $800,000 under projections due to lower inpatient census, revenues are still $3.4 million or 7.4 percent higher than last year at this time.
“In March we had a nice upward swing in acute patient days,” said Luloff, adding acute patient days have decreased 15 percent since last year.

Decorah Clinic
With regard to Clinic revenue, current numbers are 4 percent under projections, yet 18 percent over last year at this time.
“We project an 11-percent increase this fiscal year over last year in the number of Clinic visits. Next fiscal year, we project a 5-percent increase in Clinic visits,” she said.

Expense reduction
Joe Kruse, chief administrative officer for Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Wis., which provides administrative services to WMC through a management services agreement, said Mayo is working on some strategies with regard to cost reduction.
He said the Mayo Clinic is currently focusing on how to reduce expenses while providing outstanding care.
“We need to be in a position to provide care at 10-20 percent lower than we are now. That is our target by 2017,” said Kruse.
Kruse said Mayo may be “bringing forward” some expense-reduction targets to share with WMC.
Luloff gave the example of overtime expenses being something WMC is trying to get under control.
“We’re working on understanding our workflow to reduce overtime. It may seem like a small item, but a number of those things, in combination, can help,” she said.

Ossian strong
In a related matter, WMC Clinic Administrator Dave Rooney said the recently opened Ossian Clinic is doing well.
He said March was above what WMC expected and preliminary numbers show April was better than March.
He said fitness classes at the new Clinic have been so popular, a waiting list has allowed the Clinic to open another session.
He also commended the Ossian Clinic steering committee, which has raised more than $55,000 to offset startup costs to date. He thanked Casey’s General Stores for a recent $500 donation to the Ossian Clinic.
“So far, so good,” he concluded.